WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman today released the following statement regarding Assistant Secretary James Rispoli’s announcement that he will be leaving the Department in late November:

“Jim provided strong leadership and achieved significant success as the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) for the past three years. He enhanced the credibility of the EM program by instituting rigorous management practices during both the project planning and execution phases, and greatly improved the daily operations of the organization. He also demonstrated and set the example that technical and sometimes dangerous projects can be well managed while at the same time adhering to the highest safety standards. I am pleased that EM’s project and safety performance have improved dramatically during his tenure, and I wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

Rispoli said, “I am pleased and honored to have served as the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management under Secretary Bodman and President Bush and feel especially privileged to have worked with such dedicated civil servants and contractors. The commitment and enthusiasm of our workforce have been major catalysts for me as, together, we have executed our cleanup mission. I am particularly proud of our safety record – our workers have the right to go home at the end of their work days as healthy as when they came in. The fact that the Project Management Institute honored EM with its Project of the Year Award two years in a row, for the Rocky Flats and Fernald cleanup, is a testament to the discipline and focus of our workers.

By setting priorities, instituting project management discipline, establishing independently audited cost and schedule targets, and making safety paramount, EM is now on the road to achieve even greater success in the coming years. Through its accomplishments and its development of new technologies and innovative approaches, EM is recognized as a world leader in nuclear waste management and cleanup.”

As the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, Mr. Rispoli has led the Nation’s $6 billion per year program to clean up the waste and contamination remaining from former nuclear weapons research and production. The 50-year legacy of the Manhattan Project and the Cold War generated nearly 90 million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste stored in more than 200 aging underground tanks, millions of cubic yards of solid radioactive waste, thousands of tons of spent nuclear fuel and special nuclear materials, more than 100 square miles of contaminated soil and groundwater, and thousands of contaminated facilities.

Assistant Secretary Rispoli’s resignation will be effective November 22, 2008. Previously, Mr. Rispoli was Director of DOE’s Office of Engineering and Construction Management. Prior to joining DOE he was a president of one and vice president of a second engineering firm and retired at the rank of captain from the United States Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps after 27 years of service. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College, a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire, and a Master’s degree in business from Central Michigan University. He is a Professional Engineer and Fellow of the American of Civil Engineers and of the Society of American Military Engineers.

Rispoli was nominated by President Bush in May 2005, unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as seventh Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management and sworn in by Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman in August 2005.

Media contact(s):
Andrew Beck, (202) 586-4940